When many people are face with a move to a new location or job relocation, especially overseas, their first instinct is that they will need to sell their car before leaving. However, with the falling costs of auto shipping, it has now become possible to move to a new location without having to sell a car. Even families with several cars might find that the shipping of all of their cars might be the better option when compared to selling one or both of them. This post will compare shipping a car and selling it in order to help the mover choose the best option.
Auto Shipping Prices
Auto shipping prices are difficult to calculate as they depend on a variety of factors including the type of car, shipping method and distance shipped. In 2009, the average shipping cost for a car was around $461.00 if shipped across the continental United States. Within states like Texas, the auto shipping costs dropped by an average of 3%. Across the state of Texas, auto shipping costs were an average of $199.00.
If you would like a more specific auto shipping price, you can obtain a free quote from any auto shipping company. Budget Auto Shipping offers such a quote on their home page at http://budgetautoshipping.com/. With this quote, you can enter all of your information and receive an accurate and personalized price based on the services that you require. You can then calculate whether it is more cost efficient to ship or sell your car and buy another at the new location.
Selling and Purchasing Prices
Although, at first glance, it appears like a good idea to avoid auto shipping and simply sell a vehicle, closer examination reveals that this may not be the best idea. You must consider not only how much you can expect to received for your current vehicle but also how much you will need to pay for a car at your new location. This is especially problematic for military or government relocations. For example, if you are transferred to a small island such as Hawaii or Okinawa, Japan, the price of a used car can be much higher than it would be in the continental United States.
For example, the average resale value of a 1998 Pontiac Sunfire is $1,757 in excellent condition. Although shipping the car to Hawaii or Okinawa, Japan could be expensive, it does not offset the price of selling the car and purchasing another. Remember, there are other fees that are associated with purchasing a car that you need to add to the total price. If you ship your car, you will likely save yourself some money. If you choose to sell your car and purchase another, you will almost always either lose money or be forced to settle for a lower quality car than your original one.